Oral Bioavailability of Two Melatonin Supplements (MELFENIL)

Interventional Study for the Comparison of the Oral Bioavailability of Two Melatonin Supplements

Results from several clinical studies show that orally administered melatonin has low bioavailability and a very short half-life. Phenyl capsaicin, a synthetic analogue of capsaicin, might increase its bioavailability by inhibiting the enzymes involved in its hepatic metabolism.

Thus, the hypothesis of the present study is that the administration of melatonin supplement with phenyl capsaicin presents greater bioavailability than a melatonin supplement that does not contain phenyl capsaicin.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Bioavailability
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Melatonin with phenyl capsaicin; Dietary supplement: Melatonin without phenyl capsaicin

Detailed Description

Melatonin is an endogenous indolamine that regulates many physiological functions such as reproduction, temperature, mood, bone growth or the immune system. However, since its production is closely related to the light/dark cycle, melatonin is considered one of the main chronobiotic agents that modulates circadian rhythms.

For this reason, in recent years there has been increased interest in the exogenous use of melatonin to address problems of insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders such as jet lag syndrome or shift work. Although many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of melatonin in treating sleep disorders, pharmacokinetic studies show that it has poor oral bioavailability and a very short half-life. So, new strategies and studies are necessary to increase the low bioavailability of melatonin.

In this context, it has been shown that phenyl capsaicin, a synthetic analogue of capsaicin, might increase melatonin's bioavailability by inhibiting Cytochrome P450 liver enzymes, which are involved in its metabolism. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to quantify and compare the oral bioavailability between a melatonin supplement with phenyl capsaicin and another melatonin supplement that does not contain phenyl capsaicin.

The secondary objectives of the study are to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters:

• Maximum plasma concentration (Cmax).
• Time for maximum plasma concentration (Tmax).
• Half-life (T1/2).
• Area Under the Curve (AUC 0-inf) of plasma melatonin levels

During the study there will be 3 visits: a preselection visit (V0), a visit for the first postprandial study (V1) and after one week washing period, a visit for the second postprandial study (V2).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 12
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Antoni Caimari, PhD; Phone Number: 0034 977 300 431; Email: antoni.caimari@eurecat.org
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Anna Crescenti, PhD; Phone Number: 0034 977 300 431; Email: anna.crescenti@eurecat.org

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Reus, Spain, 43204
    • Eurecat

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men and women between 18 and 65 years old.
• Sign the informed consent form.
• Know how to read, write and speak Catalan or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Take supplements or multivitamin supplements or phytotherapeutic products that interfere with the treatment under study up to 30 days before the start of the study (e.g. L-Tryptophan or melatonin)
• Present intolerances and/or food allergies related to melatonin, phenyl capsaicin, microcrystalline cellulose or silicon dioxide .
• Be a smoker.
• Having received antibiotic treatment up to 30 days before the start of the study.
• Present values of body mass index ≤ 18kg/m^2 or ≥ 35 kg/m^2.
• Present some chronic disease with clinical manifestations: coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, chronic kidney disease, cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, autoimmune diseases (such as fibromyalgia), respiratory and/or gastrointestinal diseases that may compromise the absorption of the compound.
• Clinical history of anemia.
• Being pregnant or intending to became pregnant.
• Be in breastfeeding period.
• Being unable to follow the study guidelines.
• Participate in or have participated in a clinical trial or nutritional intervention study in the last 30 days before inclusion in the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Melatonin with phenyl capsaicin; Participants will consume one capsule of 1 mg of melatonin with phenyl capsaicin	Dietary supplement: Melatonin with phenyl capsaicin; Blood samples will be collected at different time points following the oral administration of the melatonin supplement with phenyl capsaicin
Active Comparator: Melatonin without phenyl capsaicin; Participants will consume one capsule of 1 mg of melatonin without phenyl capsaicin	Dietary supplement: Melatonin without phenyl capsaicin; Blood samples will be collected at different time points following the oral administration of the melatonin supplement without phenyl capsaicin

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Bioavailability of melatonin calculated by the Area Under The Curve (AUC 0-6) of plasma melatonin levels	Fasting melatonin levels in plasma will be determined before consuming the melatonin supplement until 6 hours postprandially at 7 points after consuming the capsule (15 min., 30 min., 45 min., 1h., 2h., 4h and 6h). The melatonin levels in plasma will be quantified by Liquid Chromatography coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)	At week 1
Bioavailability of melatonin calculated by the Area Under The Curve (AUC 0-6) of plasma melatonin levels	Fasting melatonin levels in plasma will be determined before consuming the melatonin supplement until 6 hours postprandially at 7 points after consuming the capsule (15 min., 30 min., 45 min., 1h., 2h., 4h and 6h). The melatonin levels in plasma will be quantified by Liquid Chromatography coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)	At week 3

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximum plasma concentration (Cmax)	Maximum plasma concentration of melatonin	At week 1
Maximum plasma concentration (Cmax)	Maximum plasma concentration of melatonin	At week 3
Time for maximum plasma concentration (Tmax)	Time period for the maximum plasma concentration of melatonin	At week 1
Time for maximum plasma concentration (Tmax)	Time period for the maximum plasma concentration of melatonin	At week 3
Half-life (T1/2)	Time taken for half the initial dose of melatonin administered to be eliminated from the body	At week 1
Half-life (T1/2)	Time taken for half the initial dose of melatonin administered to be eliminated from the body	At week 3
Area Under the Curve (AUC 0-inf) to infinite time of plasma melatonin levels	AUC 0-inf extrapolates the area to infinite time and measures the total melatonin exposure across time.	At week 1
Area Under the Curve (AUC 0-inf) to infinite time of plasma melatonin levels	AUC 0-inf extrapolates the area to infinite time and measures the total melatonin exposure across time.	At week 3

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Fundació Eurecat
• Collaborators: URIACH, S.L.

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Technological Centre of Nutrition and Health. Eurecat_Reus.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 30, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 14, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): July 14, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 18, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 18, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): April 28, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 1, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 31, 2023
• Last Verified: July 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Melatonin; Phenyl capsaicin; Bioenhancer
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Central Nervous System Depressants; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Sensory System Agents; Protective Agents; Dermatologic Agents; Antioxidants; Antipruritics; Melatonin; Capsaicin
• Other Study ID Numbers: MELFENIL

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No